I am always

Sunday February 25, 2007 - 2:07PM EDT

intrigued when I learn about ancient cultures and societies in which the standing of women was much more equal to that of men then of what we think of when we think of the average ancient culture's social standing of women. Celts are one example. As well as pre-buddhist/confuscian ancient Japan. There are probably others but I can't name any right now. I also think about bonobo chimps which are a female dominated society. The ideas that human society is male dominated because it always has been or there is some distinct advantage to it is just that, ideas. Ideas the developed and gained traction for various reasons.

I think about how there is this idea of an egalitarian human society as being a goal.  But I question whether anyone even knows what that entails. I wonder how different the world would have been if certain ideas lowering the social status of women had never taken hold and flourished. Its fun to think about history in that way. To see that there was a multitude of things that could have happened. It empowers me to seek change. To think of history as fatalistic and somehow perfect in its progression is such a weak-minded and weak-willed attitude. It leaves people to not care about our world and to think that it doesn't matter and that there is nothing they can do. The dark ages were a terrible time for just that reason. Everyone thought that this world was just temporary stop in some greater journey so western society languished for hundreds of years until some people finally woke up and said hey this is all we got we better make the best of it. Enough thinking about that stuff for now. I need to clean out my closet.